---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lot of times, that asshole behavior is…"
description: "\"A lot of times, that asshole behavior is a cover for deep insecurities, and sometimes the deeper the insecurities, the bigger the asshole.\" — Tommy Dewey"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/tommy-dewey-48587_behavior_a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is_2403888.jpg"
---

#  A lot of times, that asshole behavior is a cover for deep…

![“A lot of times, that asshole behavior is a cover for deep insecurities, and sometimes the deeper the insecurities, the bigger the asshole.” quote by Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/tommy-dewey-48587_behavior_a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is_2403888.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/tommy-dewey-48587_behavior_a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is_2403888.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/tommy-dewey-48587_behavior_a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is_2403888.jpg)

> “A lot of times, that asshole behavior is a cover for deep insecurities, and sometimes the deeper the insecurities, the bigger the asshole.”

[Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People often hide intense personal insecurity behind rude or aggressive actions, and the more profound the insecurity, the more extreme the outward hostility.

**In simple terms:** Insecurity can cause people to act meanly.

Key Takeaway

Recognize that harsh behavior may signal hidden vulnerability.

Themes

psychology self-awareness behavior insecurity relationships

Mood

empathetic reflective

Type

advice analytical

When to use this quote

- conflict resolution
- personal counseling
- team dynamics
- online harassment

Key Concepts

defense mechanisms self-esteem social interaction

Questions to Reflect On

- What insecurity might be driving a person's aggression?
- How can you respond compassionately without enabling the behavior?

A Different Perspective

Not all rude actions stem from insecurity; some are deliberate power plays.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Insecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecurity/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“He was confronted at an early age with adult-strength realizations about powerlessness, desperation, and distrust, taking his dose right alongside the overwhelmed adults. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/he-was-confronted-at-an-early-age-with-adult-strength-realizations/)

[Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/)

> [Life's too short to deal with other people's insecurities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/life-s-too-short-to-deal-with-other-people-s-insecurities/)

[Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/)

> [They always use the word 'insult' with me, but I don't hurt anybody. I wouldn't be sitting here if I did. I make fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/they-always-use-the-word-insult-with-me-but-i-don-t-hurt-anybody-i/)

[Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/)

> [Growing up in that fashion is a breeding ground for insecurity and doubt; it also leaves you questioning motives. It took me a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/growing-up-in-that-fashion-is-a-breeding-ground-for-insecurity-and/)

[Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/)

> [Conceit is a sure sign of insecurity; humility denotes awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/conceit-is-a-sure-sign-of-insecurity-humility-denotes-awareness/)

[Sivaya Subramuniyaswami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/)

> [Fear. People are afraid of talking about their fears and insecurities. They're afraid of expressing emotion beyond anger, dominance, or power, and they're afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/fear-people-are-afraid-of-talking-about-their-fears-and-insecurities/)

[John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/)

> [Marriage is going to disappear, should disappear. And now the point is coming in the history of humanity where it becomes possible that marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/marriage-is-going-to-disappear-should-disappear-and-now-the-point-is/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [Each one of us requires the spur of insecurity to force us to do our best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-w-dodds/each-one-of-us-requires-the-spur-of-insecurity-to-force-us-to-do-our/)

Harold W. Dodds

> [Singaporeans generally feel more secure these days. One of our tasks is to remind them that this, a result of a continuing act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/singaporeans-generally-feel-more-secure-these-days-one-of-our-tasks/)

[Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/)

> [Many times I've sat with a camera and another actor and seen all their fears and insecurities and struggles. You want to support them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eccleston/many-times-i-ve-sat-with-a-camera-and-another-actor-and-seen-all/)

[Christopher Eccleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eccleston/)

> [“she still had that fundamental insecurity that one bout of poverty can inflict for a lifetime, and no amount of money remedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-deighton/she-still-had-that-fundamental-insecurity-that-one-bout-of-poverty/)

[Len Deighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-deighton/)

> [I was beautiful the day we met, But now I'm not so sure. Awkward and alone, you don't make me feel sexy anymore. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-beautiful-the-day-we-met-but-now-i-m-not-so-sure-awkward-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/)

Sheila Kamerman

> [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/)

[Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/)

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

## More by Tommy Dewey

> [Having written pilots, in recent years, for networks that are dusty on a shelf somewhere, I was growing more and more impatient and eager…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/having-written-pilots-in-recent-years-for-networks-that-are-dusty-on/)

[Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

> [In a press conference, everyone is required to be like, "I'm just trying to do what's best for the team," but really?! It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/in-a-press-conference-everyone-is-required-to-be-like-i-m-just-trying/)

[Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

> [This is a corny actor thing to say, but the first step is that you can't judge the character that you're playing. If it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/this-is-a-corny-actor-thing-to-say-but-the-first-step-is-that-you-can/)

[Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

> [Just keep plugging ahead with your idea because the tide turns quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/just-keep-plugging-ahead-with-your-idea-because-the-tide-turns-quickly/)

[Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

> [If we want to be considered among the shows that are worth watching, it's got to be really good. Ultimately, that's all you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/if-we-want-to-be-considered-among-the-shows-that-are-worth-watching/)

[Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

> [Everyone has been to school. Everyone has a sense of classroom dynamics and politics, regardless of subject matter. And if you've lived long enough,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/everyone-has-been-to-school-everyone-has-a-sense-of-classroom/)

[Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

> [There's so much content out there that you can't make crap and just hope it gets seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/there-s-so-much-content-out-there-that-you-can-t-make-crap-and-just/)

[Tommy Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

[Explore all 8 Tommy Dewey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/)

## More Behavior quotes

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/)

[Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/)

> [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/)

[Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/)

> [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/)

[Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/)

> [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/)

Burne Hogarth

> [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/)

[Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/)

> [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/)

J. Willard Gibbs

> [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/)

[Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/)

> [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/)

[Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

[Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A lot of times, that asshole behavior is a cover for deep insecurities, and sometimes the deeper the insecurities, the bigger the asshole.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tommy Dewey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is-a-cover-for-deep-insecurities/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Behavior"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is-a-cover-for-deep-insecurities/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/tommy-dewey-48587_behavior_a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is_2403888.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/tommy-dewey-48587_behavior_a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is_2403888.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/tommy-dewey-48587_behavior_a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is_2403888.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A lot of times, that asshole behavior is a cover for deep insecurities, and sometimes the deeper the…” — Tommy Dewey",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Tommy Dewey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dewey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A lot of times, that asshole...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is-a-cover-for-deep-insecurities/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dewey/a-lot-of-times-that-asshole-behavior-is-a-cover-for-deep-insecurities/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
